The Detroit Lions are one of the early favorites to hoist the Lombardi Trophy at the end of the next postseason. Coming off a 15-2 record and getting several injured key contributors back makes Detroit a popular pick to be the best team in 2025.

Here are my thoughts on why the Lions are not playing in Super Bowl 59. It's true. The injuries along the defense were piling up. What made it challenging for the front office to take a big swing at the deadline was the team was still competing and winning games.

"The Lions are not there. The teams who are there, I couldn't care less if they win or lose. ... I'll be doing laundry," one fan said.

Shortly after the Eagles beat the Chiefs to win Super Bowl LIX on Sunday in New Orleans, sportsbooks released their odds to win the 2026 Super Bowl. And the Lions are among the favorites once again. The Lions are listed as plus-850 on BetMGM, plus-900 on FanDuel and plus-1100 on Caesars.

The Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles will compete in Super Bowl LIX on Sunday, Feb. 9, and each team has several players with ties to either the Detroit Lions or Michigan.

Four ex-Lions players are currently on the rosters of the teams that will appear in Super Bowl 59 from New Orleans, Louisiana.

Aug 28, 2022; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mitch Trubiski (10) is brought down by Detroit Lions defensive linemen Charles Harris (53) and Aidan Hutchinson (97) during the first quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports

I think the Chiefs win the Super Bowl. They just seem to have the upper hand in crunch time, as they always find a way to win in crunch time. The Eagles are by no means overmatched and have what it takes to win,